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Intel Core i7-5850HQ

Intel Core i7-5850HQ in 2025: Is it worth considering an outdated processor?

Analysis of architecture, performance, and relevance for modern tasks

1. Architecture and manufacturing process: A Broadwell legacy

The Intel Core i7-5850HQ, released in 2015, belongs to the Broadwell generation. This was the first family of Intel processors to transition to a 14-nanometer manufacturing process, which reduced power consumption and improved transistor density compared to its predecessors (Haswell).

Specifications:

- 4 cores, 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base frequency: 2.7 GHz, maximum in Turbo Boost: 3.6 GHz.

- L3 Cache: 6 MB.

- Integrated graphics: Iris Pro Graphics 6200 (48 EUs, 300–1000 MHz).

Architectural features:

- Improved energy efficiency: The 14nm process allowed for lower heat output, but with a TDP of 47W, the CPU still falls into the category of high-performance mobile solutions.

- iGPU Iris Pro: The integrated graphics with eDRAM (128 MB) provide 30-50% higher performance than HD Graphics 6000. Supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.3, 4K output. In 2025, it will suffice for basic tasks: office applications, video playback, light gaming like CS:GO at low settings (40-60 FPS).

2. Power consumption and TDP: Balancing power and heat

TDP 47W is a key parameter that defines usage scenarios. In comparison, modern Intel Core i7-1360P (13th generation) processors have a TDP of 28W with similar multi-threaded performance.

What does this mean for the user?

- Requires a powerful cooling system. This processor is not found in thin ultrabooks—only in gaming laptops or workstations.

- Heat and noise. Under sustained load (rendering, gaming), the coolers operate at high speeds.

3. Performance in 2025: What can the Core i7-5850HQ do?

Geekbench 6 results (1157 / 4110) show that the processor lags behind even budget modern CPUs, such as the Intel Core i3-1215U (1300 / 4500). However, it remains relevant for certain tasks.

Real-world scenarios:

- Office work: Handles browsing (20+ tabs), Excel, and Word without issues.

- Multimedia: Editing photos in Photoshop, editing 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve (with a discrete graphics card).

- Gaming: Paired with a GPU like the NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti, can run Cyberpunk 2077 at medium settings (30-40 FPS). Without discrete graphics, it only supports indie projects or games released before 2017.

- Turbo Boost: In Turbo mode, the frequency can reach 3.6 GHz, but it only lasts for a short time (1-2 minutes) due to overheating.

4. Use cases: Who will benefit from it in 2025?

- Budget gamers: If a laptop with a Core i7-5850HQ and GTX 1060 sells for $400-500, it’s viable for playing games like Apex Legends or GTA V.

- Specialists in the secondary market: For CAD software (AutoCAD, SolidWorks), it’s better to look for models with professional graphics (NVIDIA Quadro).

- Everyday tasks: Web browsing, streaming video, office applications.

Important: Modern operating systems (Windows 11, Linux distributions in 2025) officially support Broadwell, but security updates for this architecture may cease in the coming years.

5. Battery life: How long will the battery last?

Due to the high TDP, laptops with the Core i7-5850HQ seldom exceed 4-5 hours of usage under moderate load (web browsing, office tasks).

Power-saving technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: Dynamic frequency adjustment.

- C-states: Disabling unused cores.

- Tip: Set the power mode to “Power Saver” in Windows and limit the CPU frequency to 2.5 GHz using ThrottleStop.

6. Comparison with competitors

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (2021):

- 6 cores / 12 threads, TDP 15W.

- Geekbench 6: ~1250 / 4800.

- Conclusion: A newer architecture with better performance-to-battery ratio.

Apple M1 (2020):

- 8 cores (4+4), TDP 15W.

- Geekbench 6: ~2300 / 7500.

- Conclusion: M1 outperforms the i7-5850HQ in energy efficiency by 2x.

Intel Core i7-1260P (2022):

- 12 cores (4P+8E), TDP 28W.

- Geekbench 6: ~1800 / 8500.

- Conclusion: Modern hybrid Intel processors are significantly faster.

7. Pros and cons

Pros:

- Affordable price in the secondary market ($200-300 for a laptop).

- Supports 32 GB DDR3L.

- Upgradeable (often has slots for SSD and RAM).

Cons:

- No support for PCIe 4.0, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6.

- High power consumption.

- Outdated platform (processor upgrade is impossible).

8. Recommendations for choosing a laptop

Types of devices:

- Gaming laptops: ASUS ROG GL552VW, MSI GE62 Apache.

- Workstations: Dell Precision 3510.

What to pay attention to:

- Cooling system: At least two fans and copper heat pipes.

- Screen: IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080.

- Battery: Replace the old battery with a new one (cost: $50-80).

9. Final conclusion

The Core i7-5850HQ in 2025 is a choice for those who:

1. Seek a budget solution for basic tasks.

2. Plan to use a laptop with discrete graphics for playing older games.

3. Value repairability (many models are easy to disassemble).

Alternatives: If your budget is $600 or more, look for laptops with Ryzen 5 7535U or Intel Core i5-1240P—they will offer better future-proofing and battery life.

Key benefit of the Core i7-5850HQ: The price-performance ratio in the secondary market. But remember: this technology belongs to the past.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

June 2015

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i7-5850HQ

Code Name

Broadwell

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.70 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

6 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1364

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

47 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

105°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x16 or 2x8 or 1x8 2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR3L 1600/1866 LPDDR3 1600/1866

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

25.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 6200

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

32 GB

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

11.2/12

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

2560x1600@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/VGA

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

6 MB

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.3

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1157

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4110

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1039

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

4282

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2219

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

6866

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

EPYC 7232P

1224 +5.8%

Xeon E3-1265L v4

1186 +2.5%

Core i7-5850HQ

1157

Xeon E5-2698 v4

1117 -3.5%

Core i5-7300HQ

1081 -6.6%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon Silver 4208

4603 +12%

Core i7-1180G7

4339 +5.6%

Core i7-5850HQ

4110

Core i3-1305U

3869 -5.9%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

3628 -11.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

1084 +4.3%

Core i5-6600K

1063 +2.3%

Core i7-5850HQ

1039

Xeon E-2278GEL

1018 -2%

Xeon Gold 6438Y+

997 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-1370PRE

4747 +10.9%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE

4494 +5%

Core i7-5850HQ

4282

Xeon E-2144G

4019 -6.1%

Xeon E5-2470

3826 -10.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Gold 6226

2277 +2.6%

Pentium Gold G5420

2247 +1.3%

Core i7-5850HQ

2219

Xeon E3-1270 v3

2196 -1%

Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE

2165 -2.4%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon D-1559

7353 +7.1%

Xeon E3-1231 v3

7039 +2.5%

Core i7-5850HQ

6866

Xeon E5-1620 v2

6549 -4.6%

Core i5-6600

6329 -7.8%